A question for Moondog please...

[mysonben]

And anyone else who may know the answer too.

Is Specific Language Impairment the same thing as Semantic/Pragmatic language disorder?
Or are these 2 separate disorders that happen to be linked?

Wondering...
DS's SALT says he has SLI and semantic/pragm. difficulties.

Thanks.

[mysonben]

Am off out now, but back later. So not ignoring replies.
Cheers.

[bubble2bubble]

I think SLI is just a more general term
This might help: www.afasic.org.uk/speechlang.htm

[moondog]

The pages Bubble links to are good explanations.

Personally I don't really place much importance on a label for two reasons:

1. It medicalises what isn't actually a medical problem and I think leads people to think (even sibconcsiously) that it can be treated like an illness.

1. A label is often just a way of paraphrasing what we already know so a child who has difficulties with language becomes....a child with a specific language impairment. So, what has the label done for us that the description didn't? Not much as far as I can see.

It's more useful to give clear descriptions of the particular things that an individual has difficulties with.

[debs40]

Moondog that is such a helpful way of looking at things - I will use that!

[moondog]

It's very helpful to me too.

It's a behavioural way of approachnig things so extends to lots of areas.

For example.... what does 'She was very aggressive?' mean. Your concept of aggressive might be very different to mine. This far more helpful to say maybe

'She swore at her husband three times, kicked the cat and slammed her bag onto the counter'

Or 'Johnny worked really hard todat in school'

More helpful to say

'Johnny completed three workshetts and read 2 chapters of his book. He stayed sitting at the desk for 20 minutes'.

Make sense to you?

[debs40]

You are a star - that is definitely a good way of approaching things with school!

[moondog]

I suspect it is one reason why so many ppeople (esp. staff in schools and nurseries) can't understand or act on what is written in reports.

It's all too vague.

[debs40]

It is also a good way of approaching it with people who don't understand the labels in the first place - i.e teachers!

[debs40]

Cross post there!

[mysonben]

Hi i'm back.
Thanks for replies.
I can see how an actual name for a label doesn't really mean much on its own, ...yes it is vague.

The reason i was asking about whether SLI and sem/prag. disorder were the same or co-happened together is that i got this interesting book called 'the parent's guide to speech and language problems' by Debbie Feit.
The author describes these 2 disorders as separate although i must say the two share a lot of similarities.
There is a section where she gives practical advice relevant to each separate disorder included in the book.
But as DS' salt employs both names when she talks about DS's language issues, and i'm trying to get as much info on the subject, i am a bit confused on the two terms.

I must add that DS ticks all the points for the characteristics mentioned about SLI on the book, it's very well described and it's like the chapter has been written about DS.
But the semantic/pragm. disorder a lot of the points apply to DS but not all.

[moondog]

Myson, which rather proves the point (imho) that it is impossible to shunt an individual into a particular category.